An Undying Flame
by His Black Rider
Summary: Dumbledore has a godchild who he has kept hidden for the 16 years she's been alive,but when Death Eaters start attacking,she is forced to leave her home in Hogsmade to find security in Hogswarts where she captures the eyes of Draco and later the Dark Lord
1. Prologue

~ An Undying Flame ~

Prologue:

"I don't want to stay here, Albus!" the voice of a small girl pleaded, "Why can't I live with you?" she asked while tears glistened within her innocent turquoise eyes. Albus Dumbledore placed hi s hands on the girl's small shoulders and kneeled down before her,

"I wish you could, my dear. But it wouldn't be safe and as your guardian, I must always ensure your safety." He gently explained; the small girl pouted,

"But I'll miss you Albus…." She sadly whispered as she threw herself into the old man's arms and began to gently weep.

"There, there, my little Vasara, this isn't goodbye forever." He murmured reassuringly; Vasara sniffed before she turned her small tear stained face up towards her Godfather,

"When will I see you again?" her small voice asked,

"In a few years when you're older." He answered solemnly.

"I'm already eight!" she defensively pointed out. Dumbledore chuckled and smiled down at his Godchild,

"Yes, that you are." He agreed proudly causing Vasara to smile softly. He gave a soft sigh before continuing, "Vasara, I know this doesn't make much sense now but in time you will understand why this has to be done. So until then, I need you to be the big, strong girl that I know you are. Can you do that for me?" he asked; Vasara slowly nodded her head,

"Yes, Albus." She obediently answered.

"That's my girl." He praised softly before he leaned down and placed a soft affectionate kiss on her forehead.

"Will you write to me Albus?" she asked, "I like letters." She added quietly.

"I'll write to you everyday." He promised. Vasara forced a weak smile at his words before she then bowed her head to the ground,

"So then…..this is goodbye?" she sadly asked. Dumbledore rose to his feet before he offered out his hand to Vasara, who placed her tiny hand in his

"For now." He answered with a sad nod. With heavy hearts the two slowly walked up to the front door of a pretty decent sized cottage that was to become Vasara's new home. Dumbledore raised a hand up and firmly rapped on the wooden door; within a few seconds, the door was answered by a middle aged woman.

"Good evening, Mrs. Flox." He greeted.

"Welcome, Albus." She politely answered with a small smile to him before she turned her eyes upon Vasara who was now clinging shyly to Dumbledore's side.

"Oh and what have we here?" Mrs. Flox began with a compassionate smile, "Well aren't you the sweetest little thing I've seen in ages." She cooed. Vasara gave a soft curtsy before answering

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Well come in deary, let's not keep you standing out in the night's air." Mrs. Flox kindly offered. Vasara gave a soft nod before she turned once more back to Dumbledore who gave her a small, encouraging smile. The little girl quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a tight hug which Dumbledore returned without hesitation. When the pulled away for the last time, Dumbledore gave her a soft nudge toward Mrs. Flox. With small steps, Vasara stepped away from her Godfather and slowly walked inside the cottage.

"Fear not, Albus. She's in good hands." Mrs. Flox assured once Vasara was inside the doorway,

"No one must know about….what I had discussed with you earlier today, not even Vasara. She's not ready to know the truth." He explained gravely,

"I understand." Mrs. Flox replied. With a soft nod of his head, Albus Dumbledore forced himself to turn away from the cottage and leave down the coble stone road back to Hogswarts Castle.

"It was for the best, Albus. You know that." He told himself. But deep down, no matter what he said, it could not ease the growing pain of leaving his precious Vasara behind.


	2. Chapter 1: A Dark Night

Chapter one: A Dark Night:

(8 years later)

"Vasara, dear, come away from that window." Mrs. Flox's voice softly ordered. Vasara, now 16, stood gazing out of the parlor's window to the starry black sky above the little town called Hogsmade. At her name, she slowly pulled her turquoise eyes away from the sky and turned about to face Mrs. Flox who sat peacefully in a chair by a lit fireplace.

"Mrs. Flox," Vasara began protesting, "There's no harm in looking out a window." She playfully pointed out.

"I never said there was but with Death Eaters roaming about and You-Know-Who at large once more, it's simply not proper for a young lady, like yourself, to be standing out in the open like that; particularly at night." Mrs. Flox calmly threw back.

"I am inside!" Vasara stated defensively with a small smirk.

"And I'm just being cautious." Mrs. Flox paused for a second or so before she added, "And Vasara will you please close your robe? You're practically flashing all of Hogsmade."

Vasara quickly glanced down on herself to find that her white silky dressing gown that she was wearing over her satin nightgown had indeed come undone at the top revealing a hint of cleavage being shown off by her scooped cut nightgown. Vasara giggled and rolled her eyes before she brought her hands up from her sides to retie her robe closed.

"Better?" she asked; Mrs. Flox quickly looked her over.

"Yes. Much better." She said approvingly. Vasara softly shook her head before she walked away from the window and took a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace.

"You know there's nothing wrong with showing a bit of cleavage here and there. For the boys you know." Vasara playfully winked; Mrs. Flox laughed softly,

"You, my dear, don't need to be giving those boys a show. They drool over you enough already." She teasingly pointed out; Vasara softly smiled.

"So true." Vasara agreed. With her mystifying turquoise eyes, full pink lips and a captivating smile, Vasara was known as the most beautiful young woman in Hogsmade; so with all that plus full breasts and curves, boys went crazy for her. Using one hand, Vasara swept her long silky hair over her shoulder before she began weaving it into a neat braid; her hair was a dark strawberry blonde that reached just a few inches above her lower back.

"Mrs. Flox?" Vasara spoke out softly,

"Yes, deary?" she replied.

"Have you heard from Albus yet?" Vasara asked curiously.

"No……" Mrs. Flox gravely answered,

Vasara sighed, "It's been almost a year since his last letter….what's been keeping him?" she disappointedly asked.

"Oh my dear," Mrs. Flox began, "He's a busy man. Not to mention it's not safe anymore for letters really."

Vasara quickly undid her braid before she lazily flung her hair back over her shoulder so it smoothly ran down her back, "Nothing's safe in this world anymore." She softly murmured. Vasara opened her mouth to say something else but was immediately silenced by a piercing scream coming from outside. "What was that?" she asked concernedly.

Mrs. Flox jumped up from her chair and ran over to the parlor window; Vasara followed right behind her. The two women gazed outside and to their horror, saw that just up the road from where they were, houses were on fire. Vasara quickly turned away from the window and ran to the front; she threw it open with great ease and stepped outside. People were running and screaming through the streets; when Vasara quickly looked up to the sky, right above her was the horrific image of the Dark Mark. She fearlessly watched the serpent slither from the skull's mouth, becoming almost entranced with the gruesome symbol. A warm hand quickly placed itself on Vasara's shoulder and she turned to see Mrs. Flox beside her, gazing up at the Dark Mark as well.

"Dear god…"she whispered. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the coble stone road, swiftly drawing Vasara's attention. When she turned her eyes up the road from where she and Mrs. Flox stood, her breath caught in her throat.

"Mrs. Flox……" Vasara whispered Mrs. Flox turned and followed Vasara's gaze until her eyes landed on a group of about five people dressed in black robes wearing skull masks over there faces.

"Death Eaters!" Mrs. Flox breathed out in fear before she quickly spun away and dashed back into her house. Vasara on the other hand stood frozen on spot, watching helplessly as the group of Death Eaters made their way toward their cottage. In a second, Mrs. Flox was once again at her side. "Vasara, take this!" she ordered as she handed over a wand. Vasara gripped the wand firmly in her hand then looked toward the advancing group of Death Eaters. Though Vasara never got the chance to go to school, she had managed to learn a few powerful spells incase she needed to defend herself. She sucked in a deep breath before she boldly began to confront the dangerous group; raising her wand up, she pointed it at the center of the stalking Death Eaters and before Mrs. Flox could stop her, she called out

"Rictoshempra!" A bright purple light shot from the tip of her wand and charged at the approaching Death Eaters. It struck the group so suddenly and unexpectedly, that the spell ended up taking down at least half of the group. A triumphant smile came to Vasara's lips before she swiftly spun back around and grabbed Mrs. Flox by her hand, "Run!!" she exclaimed. The two woman quickly bolted down the road away from the Death Eaters who were still trying to pull themselves together.

"Where did you learn that spell?" Mrs. Flox asked, Vasara looked over before she gave a soft shrug of her shoulders,

"I read it in a book somewhere." She answered.

"Oh……" said the still surprised Mrs. Flox. They ran side by side for a great distance, leaving Hogsmade behind and coming up on the forest that would eventually lead onto Hogswarts grounds. Right as they reached the edge of the forest, Mrs. Flox came to a stop and pulled back on Vasara, stopping her as well. Vasara couldn't help but be confused at the older woman's sudden action.

"Mrs. Flox, what is it?" she asked

"Vasara, you must get yourself on Hogswarts grounds." Mrs. Flox answered seriously,

"Won't you be coming?" Vasara questioned; Mrs. Flox shook her head,

"No deary, I need to go elsewhere. We must be separated now that Death Eaters have come to Hogsmade." She explained.

"But why? It's not unusual for Death Eaters to go on a raiding." Vasara pointed out,

"No, but it is suspicious when they come to the one town where Albus Dumbledore's godchild lives." Mrs. Flox threw back softly. Vasara was taken back by that statement,

"What are you implying?" she asked worriedly, her voice barely a whisper.

"My dear, surely you know how the Dark Lord absolutely detests your godfather. He has wanted to bring Albus down for years now. If he were to ever get a hold of you, you'd give him the leverage he needs to do so. Not to mention some other things……"

"Such as?" Vasara pressed onwards.

"I cannot tell you that." Mrs. Flox answered, "I swore to Albus I wouldn't tell a soul. You need to hear it from him. Now hurry dear girl, into the forest! Stick to the shadows and no matter what keep on running. Don't look back…..don't come back."

"Where will you go? Vasara asked hurriedly.

"Best not tell you that. Just know I'll be safe." She answered calmly. Vasara quickly gave the older woman a parting embrace, "Oh fear not, dear girl, we will meet again!" Mrs. Flox promised before they released one another. When a flash of blue flew right on by their heads, the two turned to the direction where it came from to see that the Death Eaters had finally caught up with them. "Quickly!" Mrs. Flox ordered while she pushed Vasara towards the trees, "Go!" Vasara, though she didn't feel right about leaving behind the woman who had raised her for half of her life, swiftly dashed into the sheltering trees.


	3. Chapter 2: The Boy with Grey Eyes

Chapter Two: The Boy with Grey Eyes

Leaves and twigs crunched beneath her bare feet while limbs from low trees and thorny brushes snagged and tore at her skin and dressing gown. It was abnormally dark in that forest, foggy too; Vasara kept having a difficult time weaving her way through it. Trees flew right on by her at her great speed but then so did something else. What could only be described at a thick black swirling mass, Vasara came to a sudden halt as the blackness swirled about her in a taunting manner. Suddenly the blackness moved just a few feet back before it landed and took the shape of a full grown man. His dark eyes stared menacingly through his skull mask,

"Well, well, well, look what I've come across." He stated mockingly. Vasara kept her head held high and remained silent. The Death Eater before her started to size her up, "Aren't you a pretty one." He commented as his eyes traced her body; Vasara's eyes narrowed dangerously and her grip on her wand tightened. Wordlessly, Vasara held her wand out to the side of her at a slight angle before she started tracing the tip of the wand in a circle; her wand's tip started to glow white.

"Now let's not try anything stupid, love." The Death Eater stated as he took a couple steps toward her; Vasara simply shook her head. Soon the white glow turned to a dark pink and began to spark. A mischievous smirk came to her lips as she watched the man take a few steps back; he obviously didn't know what spell she was casting. And before he could pull out his own wand, Vasara drew her wand back before she flicked her wrist and called out,

"Flippendo!" The dark pink glow shot from her wand like lightning and struck the Death Eater in his chest. The tremendous force of the spell sent the Death Eater soaring through the air, flipping and spiraling like crazy before he crashed into a tree behind him and collapsed limply to the ground, unmoving. Taking her chance of freedom, Vasara once again set off deeper into the forest, away from the fallen Death Eater. It wasn't long after that before she could hear the whole group of them hot on her trail.

"Oh great!" she swore as she heard their voices and faint steps behind her. Vasara knew that she needed a place to hide and fast. When a large particular tree came into her view, she headed straight for it. Just as she neared the tree, a sudden moving life form stepped out from behind it; Vasara didn't have enough time to register the dark figure before she collided into it. The figure, Vasara quickly noted was solid and human; as she made a move to pull back, an arm snaked around her waist before it spun her around so her back was pressed against its chest. As two strong arms now wrapped themselves tightly around Vasara, she began to panic. She struggled and tried to pull away but to no avail, the figure only tightened his hold and brought her closer. Then to her upmost horror, the figure began to drag her back with it to the large tree. Instinctively, Vasara opened her mouth and let out a bloodcurdling scream that sounded out through the entire forest; her cries were soon muffled by a large hand that clamed down forcefully over her mouth and before Vasara could blink her captor dragged her over to the back of the massive tree where a narrow, hollow space was carved into it. Her captor entered it first before taking Vasara along with him. The space had some room in it for both people but it wasn't tall enough for anyone to stand in, so her captor quickly dropped into a crouch and forced Vasara to her knees in the dirt. Feeling the closeness of her captor right behind her and not knowing what to do about her situation, Vasara began to scream and whimper against the hand that still covered her mouth. In a quick movement, the hand of her captor that had her caught around her waist suddenly pressed itself against her stomach, pushing her tightly up against his chest; She felt her captor lower his head so his mouth was next to her ear,

"Keep quiet!" he sharply whispered. Vasara froze as she his warm breath tickled her ear and the side of her face but she complied to his order. They waited silently for a few long minuets, crouched in darkness of the sheltering tree; from a distance they could hear the voices of the Death Eaters talking,

"She went this way Bellatrix." The man whom Vasara had cursed spoke.

"Well, looks like she's gone now. Come on, let's get back to the Dark Lord, he's waiting to hear from us." A high pitched woman's voice answered.

"That little witch gots some skill with a wand…" the man angrily grumbled; the woman only laughed. Then there were some quick popping sounds before dead silence. Vasara felt her captor relax behind her which gave her the cue that it was safe. She quickly measured up the strength to pry the hand away from her mouth,

"Alright, they're gone." She muttered, "…now let me go!" she demanded before she began working on the arm that still held her by the waist; when he wouldn't ease up, she twisted her body to face him before confronting him in irritation, "Do you mind??!!" Of course, it was pitch black inside the tree, so Vasara was only capable of seeing the outline of his body. She heard him give a soft chuckle before he muttered a soft spell to himself causing a bright light to glow from the tip of his own wand. Vasara winced at the sudden brightness in the tree but after a few moments her eyes quickly adjusted to it. Then she quickly turned around to face her captor, "Listen you!" she began but stopped when her bright, turquoise eyes were met by a pair of cool piercing grey ones; Vasara then quickly looked her captor over. He was a guy who looked to be no older than herself with short, pale blonde hair and a narrow face that had some very chiseled features that gave him an almost irresistible look.

"See something you like?" he asked with a smug smirk; Vasara rolled her eyes,

"Don't flatter yourself." She retorted. Then with great speed, she pulled her wand out and pointed its tip under the guy's chin, "Now I won't ask you again, release me!" she ordered and to make sure he knew that she wasn't playing, she gave a quick jab in his throat. The guy unwound his arm from her torso at her threat before he raised his hands up in the air in a surrendering gesture. Once free of his grasp, Vasara pulled herself away from the guy, putting at least a foot between them.

"Is that anyway to treat your rescuer?" he asked cocking an eyebrow. Vasara gave a soft snort,

"You give yourself too much credit, sir. I didn't ask for your help nor did I need it." She threw back before she quickly spun away from him and exited through the narrow space in the tree. Taking a few steps away from the tree, Vasara swiftly brushed herself off before she turned back around to find that the guy had followed and was now casually leaning up against the tree, watching her intensely. Becoming quite irritated with his attention, Vasara popped a hip out before she placed both her hands on her hips in a defensive manner,

"Didn't your mother ever teach that it's rude to stare?" she pointed out.

"Kind of hard not to with you dressed like that." He amusedly threw back. Vasara looked down on herself to find that her dressing gown had once again opened up; after quickly adjusting her nightgown, she retired her robe closed, hiding the view of her exposed cleavage once more.

"Sorry, I couldn't find time for a wardrobe change when the Death Eaters came knocking." She sarcastically muttered; the boy shrugged

"Hey, I'm not complaining." He stated

"Oh whatever!" she snapped softly before she turned on her heel and stomped off.

"And where are you going?" the guy called from the tree.

"Is that any of your concern?" she threw back over her shoulder as she kept walking away. Out of the corner of her eye, something zoomed on by at tremendous speed before it turned around and stopped right in front of Vasara. She gazed up humorously at the blonde boy who sat hovering eight feet in the air on a broom. "Can I help you?" she asked arching an eyebrow at his sudden persistent behavior.

"Yeah, you could get on." He stated. His tone of voice made the suggestion sound more like an order.

"And why would I do that?" she asked.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" he irritably threw back,

"No but you can explain your intentions." She answered. He gave a soft groan while rolling his eyes,

"I can give you ride to wherever you need to go." He answered.

"Oh how kind of you." She sarcastically commented. His grey eyes narrowed softly at Vasara's sharp tongue

"Hey, you got any better offers?" he impatiently pointed out. Vasara gave a soft sigh,

"No. But I don't know who you are and it would be incredibly foolish for a young woman to simply fly off into the night with a young man she doesn't know."

"Almost as foolish as picking a fight with a Death Eater?" he wittily threw back. Vasara gave a soft smirk at his comment,

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He answered, "So you coming or what?" he quickly asked with irritation.

"What's in it for you?"Vasara asked with great interest,

"Nothing." He muttered, "I mean what kind of gentleman would I be if I left a pretty young woman such as yourself, out here, alone in the dark forest."

"Hardly a gentleman," she answered casually.

"Well then," he began before he lowered the broom to the ground, "……hop on!"

Vasara let out a defeated sigh before she quickly stepped up to the broom stick, "For the record," she stated, "I've never ridden on one of these things before." She confessed. Draco raised an eyebrow up in shock,

"Seriously?" he asked in disbelief. Vasara nodded. Draco thought about the situation for a few seconds before he beckoned Vasara with his finger, "Come here then, you'll ride in front.

Hesitantly, Vasara moved up closer to the front of the broom; Draco slid down a bit to give her some room. Then she gracefully swung her leg over the broom's handle to straddle it. Behind her, Draco scooted up closer now that she was securely on and wrapped his arms around her waist so he could grip the handle of the broom. Without giving Vasara a warning, Draco pushed off the ground and flew them up above the forest. Vasara was clinging onto the broom stick in front of her for dear life; Draco stopped once they were high above the trees,

"You ok?" he asked amusedly,

"Peachy!" she snapped back. Draco only chuckled,

"So, where you headed?" he asked

"Hogswarts." She answered.

"Why the bloody hell would you want to go there?" he questioned in disgust,

"Personal reasons," she grumbled, "I have family there." She finished defensively, Draco snorted,

"Pathetic…." He muttered, "Lean forward." He ordered before Vasara had the time to make a response to his last comment. Vasara reluctantly did what she was told, then she felt him lean forward too, his entire body was now practically on top of Vasara's. At the feeling of his chest against her back, Vasara glared over her shoulder,

"Now I see why you wanted me in the front." She grumbled disapprovingly; Draco only snorted again,

"Please. Your not my type." He muttered. Then without another word, the broom took off at great speed through the night sky. It was a short ride, less than ten minuets or so; Draco landed the broom 50 yards away from Hogswarts Castle and one he had it firmly on the ground, Vasara quickly hopped off. She took a step away from Draco before glaring back over her shoulder at him,

"Out of curiosity, what is your type?" she asked, "Shallow, arrogant, conceited? Because if so, then you're right, we'd make a poor match." She wittily insulted. Draco's eyes narrowed dangerously,

"No. Classy, educated, a girl with status, power and position." He angrily answered, "Basically, my type is everything that you're not!" he hissed while he gave Vasara a quick look over before adding "Peasant!"

"Peasant??!!" Vasara screamed in outrage, "Is that what you think I am?" she furiously asked. Without giving Draco a chance to reply she spun back around and stomped off towards the castle.

"What, no goodbye?" Draco mockingly called to her. Vasara's only answer was her arm raised straight up in the air with her middle finger sticking up. Then with her hands, Vasara lifted her dressing and nightgown up past her ankles before she took off running to the Castle's entrance, leaving behind a very angry yet amused Draco Malfoy.


	4. Chapter 3: To Finally Learn the Truth

Chapter three: To Finally learn the Truth

Vasara stood dumbfounded before the massive Castle that would lead the way inside Hogswarts. She's never been at Hogswarts before and her reason for coming wasn't exactly under a happy circumstance. Raising a fist up from her side, Vasara pounded on the door a few times; there was no answer so Vasara repeated her action while crying out, "For Merlin's sake, open this door!" Her fist was now aching and a restless feeling began to take a hold of her. But then a loud boom came from the other side of the door and to her relief, a door opened. A horrid looking man who was well into his late fifties with dark grey hair that went well past his shoulders and a wrinkly face wearing a scowl appeared in the doorway.

"What business do you have coming here at this time of night? Trespassing is against the law mind you……" the man grumbled; Vasara straightened up,

"I am not trespassing, sir. And though my business is my own, I am here to see Albus Dumbledore; it is urgent." She answered. The man mumbled a few words under his breath that Vasara couldn't catch before he turned around and walked back into Hogswarts; Vasara quickly followed behind him. Within the Castle at last, Vasara found herself in absolute awe at the architecture of the grand school. As she followed the man through the school, her eyes couldn't help but look all around at the many portraits hanging on the walls, the endless corridors, and rooms they passed. Finally the man came to a stop in front of a large statue of a bird with its wings spread out, encasing a small alter holding a large, opened book; Vasara couldn't decide if the bird was either an eagle, hawk, or possibly phoenix. The man approached the statue and muttered a word Vasara couldn't catch, and then to her amazement, the statue started to rotate to reveal a long winding staircase heading upwards. The man turned back around to Vasara,

"His office is just up those stairs…." He grumbled. Vasara opened her mouth to thank the man when another voice suddenly came from behind her,

"Filch, whose that?" another male voice asked.

"Ah Severus, this girl here is asking to see Albus." The man called Filch answered. Vasara turned around to see an extremely tall man with greasy looking black hair that hung limply down his neck, stopping just above his broad shoulders, approach her. The man was completely dressed in black robes and had a very intimidating air about him. Severus Snape stopped just a few feet from Vasara, his dark gaze penetrating right through her.

"Did this girl say why?" Snape asked in his mono tone voice, his eyes never leaving Vasara's face. Vasara, refusing to feel intimated by this man, glared up at him and boldly spoke up,

"I did not have to, sir , for it's none of your business."

Snape crossed his arms over his chest at Vasara's boldness, "Did you have an appointment with the Headmaster?" he coolly asked.

"No." she firmly answered.

"Then you cannot be expected to meet with him. This is a school, and he's a very busy man, so unless you've got an appointment, then you'd best be on your way." Snape retorted. Vasara stood her ground,

"I beg your pardon, sir, but since when does one need to setup an appointment to see her god……" Vasara was quickly cut off.

"Severus, what's with all the noise?" a low and familiarly calm voice asked. Vasara and Snape turned their heads to see a familiar looking old man dressed in bluish grey robes standing on the last few steps of the winding staircase. Though Vasara could clearly see that he had aged since the last time she had seen him, she could recognize his kind blue eyes anywhere along with his long grey beard; at the sight of her godfather, Vasara lost her voice.

"Headmaster, this girl wishes to meet with you." Snape answered; Albus Dumbledore glanced over to Vasara and gave her a soft smile,

'Well then, dear girl, let us go to my office where we can speak privately." Dumbledore kindly answered before he glanced back over at Snape and Filch, "Thank you, gentlemen, I can take things from here." He stated signaling for their dismissal. "This way, my dear." Dumbledore softly murmured as he turned around and walked back up the winding staircase. Vasara gave Snape a triumphant glare before she swiftly followed her godfather up to his office. At the top of the stairs, she saw an open door and hesitantly walked through it into a grand office. She softly closed the door behind her before she stepped further into the room. Her eyes found her godfather standing in front of a large bookshelf facing away from her; Vasara took a couple steps toward him before she drew in a shaky breath,

"Albus?" her voice called out softly. Slowly, Albus Dumbledore turned around and gave her a soft caring smile,

"Hello, Vasara." He answered. Hearing her godfather say her name after all those years made Vasara feel like a child of eight again and tears quickly found their way into her eyes. Without even thinking, she ran over to him and threw herself into his receiving arms. His arms wrapped around her back in a comforting manner while he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Vasara's head, "Look at you," he began, "….my little Vasara all grownup." He praised. Vasara laughed softly before she stepped back from her beloved godfather.

"Eight years can do that to a person." She teased giving him a sad smile which he returned.

"Come, let's sit down. We have much to discuss." Dumbledore stated calmly while he linked his arm with Vasara's before he escorted her over to a small comfy couch. They quickly took a seat beside each other and got comfortable before he spoke again, "Now, not that I am not thrilled to see you again, my dear, but why have you come?" he asked; Vasara softly bowed her head,

"Death Eaters, Albus, they came and attacked Hogsmade." She answered. When she looked back up at Dumbledore, a look of dread had come across his features,

"I feared as much," he began, "but thank Merlin you're at least safe." Vasara nodded her head before she lowered her gaze down to her lap,

"Is that why you separated us, Albus?" she softly asked; Dumbledore gave a soft sigh,

"Yes my dear, it is." He answered.

"Why?" she questioned curiously; Dumbledore remained silent. "Albus, please, I think I'm old enough to understand your reasons for things." She gently pointed out; Dumbledore gave her a soft smile,

"You're right. It's time you learned the truth." He answered, "Tell me Vasara, what do you know about your parents?" he asked. Vasara was taken back by the question,

"My parents?" she repeated before she gave a soft shrug of her shoulders and answered, "Not much. Only that they died unexplainably when I was just an infant and they left me in your care…..what does this have to do with anything?" she asked curiously.

"Everything my dear." Dumbledore replied, "Do you know how they died?" he asked calmly.

"Accident, right?" Vasara answered uncertainly; to her surprise, Dumbledore shook his head,

"No."

"No?!" she repeated, "What do you mean 'no'?"

"It was no accident that your parents died my dear. They were killed." He gravely answered; Vasara's turquoise eyes widened in shock at the news,

"….They were murdered? By who?" she softly demanded. Dumbledore answered her question with one word: Voldemort. "Why?" she whispered. Dumbledore reached a comforting hand over to Vasara and took up one of her hands within his own.

"Vasara dear, there are secrets about your parents' past that have been kept hidden from you for your own protection." He gently explained,

"Such as?"she pushed,

"They use to work for Voldemort." He answered; Vasara paled softly,

"My parents? Death Eaters?" she stated in disbelief; Dumbledore nodded his head,

"Yes. But please try to understand, when they signed on with him, they were just a couple of teens like yourself who were drawn into his circle by their ignorance and the pressure of a friend. They, at the time, didn't know what they had gotten themselves into until years later once they had married each other and saw the true horrors and evils they were apart of." He explained.

"How do you know this?" Vasara calmly asked.

"Your parents were two of my finest students here at Hogswarts. They had talked about leaving the Death Eater ranks for years but the decision became final once your mother conceived a child; you." He paused for a second to let his information sink in before continuing, "One day, they came to me in the dead of the night and told me of their situation; your mother at the time was just beginning to show. They asked for my help and protection, which I of course gave without hesitation. I helped them go into hiding, giving them their escape from Voldemort. For months, they were safely hidden from Voldemort's clutches; the next time I heard word from your parents was when I received a letter stating that your mother had just given birth to healthy baby girl whom they named Vasara." He paused again; Vasara gave him a weak smile and nod encouraging him to go on, "It was on the night of your birth that they named me your godfather. Even though they had been safely hidden from Voldemort, your parents still took cautions incase their past caught up with them. Which eventually, it did…"

"How? If they were hidden, how were they killed? Vasara asked.

"Voldemort used some of his best spies to try and locate your parents. One actually succeeded in getting a hold of your parents' address through a hospital."

"Why did he check there?" she asked curiously.

"He knew your mother was pregnant. It took him a few months to find the address though, Hospital files are pretty tricky to get into." Dumbledore stated; Vasara gave a soft nod,

"But not tricky enough……" she added sadly.

"Indeed. So, naturally, once Voldemort knew their location, he wasted no time in paying them a visit. The night of their deaths, your father managed to contact me just moments before Voldemort showed up. He told me that somehow they had been discovered and that Voldemort was practically at their doorstep. I came as fast as I could………but by the time I had arrived on scene, Voldemort had already dealt with your parents and a Death Eater who came with him had just discovered you; crying in your cradle for your parents. Voldemort took one glance at me before fleeing but not before he ordered Bellatrix to kill you as well," At that name Vasara's head perked up,

"Bellatrix?" she repeated the familiar name, "Was….she the one who discover the location of my parents?" Vasara asked.

"Yes. Bellatrix Lestrange, one of Voldemort's most loyal and sadistic followers." He explained before getting back to his story, "She of course never had the chance to kill you with me around. Once she was gone, I contacted the Ministry at once and told them what had happened before I took you away to live with me……when I first held you in my arms, I made a vow to myself that night; since I couldn't save your parents, I'd do all in my power to make sure that you would always be safe and protected." As Dumbledore finished, Vasara found that tears had once again come to her eyes; she quickly wiped them away before she gave a soft sniff and nod of her head in understanding of why her life had turned out the way it did.

"Your parents were good people, Vasara. Never doubt that." He gently murmured; Vasara only nodded. After she took a few seconds to regain her composure, she took in a deep breath and asked

"Why though, did you send me away when I was eight?"

"During those eight years that I had you, I had nothing to fear because just a few months shortly after the deaths of your Mother and Father did Voldemort himself vanquish." He answered. Vasara thought about that statement for a few seconds before it clicked,

"By Harry Potter……" she murmured, recalling all the stories about the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Yes. But the year you turned eight, rumors started going about saying that Voldemort hadn't been completely been destroyed. His spirit had somehow still remained and would possess living beings. When that news reached me, I wasn't willing to take the risk of him finding out about you being my godchild, so I sent you away to live with Mrs. Flox incase the rumors were true; that way your identity would still be hidden and you'd still be close enough for me to keep an eye on you." He explained.

"And the rumors were true?" she guessed. Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes. Three years later, Voldemort made his presence known to me when he and young Harry Potter met for the first time within the very walls of Hogswarts, which was why I never allowed you to come to school because Voldemort always seemed to have a way of getting through."

"Albus, you've been shielding me from the eyes of society since infancy, but why exactly?? What have we to fear? I mean….you don't actually think that after all this time, Voldemort would want me for some reason….right?" she asked surprisingly calmly,

"What do you mean?" he returned,

"Meaning is there a possibility that he may want to….finish what he started with my family…or use me as leverage against you."

"Who told you that?"

"Mrs. Flox." She simply answered; Dumbledore gave a soft sigh,

"As far as I know, he may not evening know you're alive, but if he figured it out, then yes there is a possibility that he may try to do both." Vasara nodded her head in understanding.

"So what are we gonna do?" she asked.

"For now, we are going act normally, get you setup in society and all." He answered.

There was a small moment of silence and confusion on Vasara's part before she softly asked,

"Albus, what's my last name?"

Dumbledore gave his godchild a soft smile before answering, "Thompson. Vasara May Thompson." Vasara smiled back

"So, exactly what did you mean about getting 'setup in society'?" she asked curiously,

"Well there's quite a few secrets you probably didn't know about your parents; for instance, your Mother was an Heiress, and your Father was an extremely respected and wealthy man. When they married, their fortunes combined making them richer than most pureblood families, including the Malfoys."

"Oh!" she murmured in surprise; Dumbledore nodded his head,

"Yes. In fact, tomorrow I shall take you to the Manor that your Mother had left behind for you." He stated.

"Seriously?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded again,

"Mmhmm….then we'll go to the bank and reopen their account for you….and possibly do some shopping if your Mother's clothes are in poor condition and can't fit you." He added; At the mention of her mother, Vasara's eyes lit up,

"I'll get to wear things that belonged to my mom?" she asked a growing feeling of excitement began settling over her.

"If you like."

"Oh yes. I'd like that very much." She answered.

"Then its settled, once we're ready tomorrow morning, we'll head out. But until then best thing you could do is get a goodnight's rest."

"Albus," Vasara began protesting but was silence by a raised hand from Dumbledore,

"No more Vasara, I am still you guarding and therefore in charge here." He playfully teased causing Vasara to smile and laugh softly.

"It's great to have you back, Albus." She confessed happily. Dumbledore smiled before he brought his wand out and wave it in the air; a blanket and pillow then appeared on his lap.

"Couch ok?" he asked while he handed over the blanket and pillow.

"Yeah it's cool." She answered while receiving the things Dumbledore held out to her. When Dumbledore rose from his seat on the couch, Vasara quickly made her 'bed' on it before she settle comfortably in it. Dumbledore leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead,

"Goodnight, my little Vasara."

"Goodnight, Albus." She answered giving her godfather a small smile. Within five minuets Dumbledore turned off all the lights in his office before he left for his own bedchamber.


	5. Chapter 4: A New Life

Chapter four: A New Lifestyle

The next day came quickly for Vasara; when she awoke from her sleep, she was happily met by her godfather who had already made breakfast for her. The two of them ate quickly then Dumbledore decided that they should probably head out.

"Come along, Vasara, we have a lot to do today." He gently rushed.

"Uh, Albus? I can't go out in public dressed like this." She pointed out, signaling to her wrinkly night wear. Dumbledore chuckled softly before he simply walked over and took Vasara by her arm,

"Hold on." he warned. Then in a flash, a powerful forced seized gripped onto Vasara as she and Dumbledore apparated out of Hogswarts. In less than a minuet, they reappeared right outside a large and elegant Manor. Vasara's eyes widened in awe at the sight before her,

"Albus…." She breathed out, "Are…are we…" she couldn't even finish her sentence. Dumbledore smiled,

"Yes, Vasara, this is your house." He answered.

"My house?" she repeated, "Nu-huh!" she murmured in disbelief

"Yu-huh." Dumbledore answered with a soft laugh, "I told you last night that your Mother left you a Manor." He playfully reminded.

"I thought you were exaggerating." She answered. Dumbledore chuckled again

"Wanna go inside?" he asked. Vasara nodded her head,

"Uh huh." She answered. Arm in arm the two slowly approached the grand front door. With a soft wave of Dumbledore's hand, the door opened up and the two entered the breathtaking Manor. Inside, the floors were white marble, as were the stairs that led up to the second and third floors of the Manor. The colors of the walls in the Manor always corresponded with the carpets and furniture of the rooms. Upstairs on the second floor was where the guest bedrooms were kept along with a personal study. The third floor held the personal bedrooms, four of them to be exact. Dumbledore led Vasara through each one until they came across the one that had belonged to Vasara's mom. The room itself was a huge chamber that was the color of a light baby blue trimmed with white; matching silk curtains hung above the windows and the queen sized canopy bed that rested up against the center of the bedroom's left wall, also matched the colors of the room.

"Wow……" Vasara softly commented with a soft smile. Dumbledore led her over to the walk-in closet on the far side of the bedroom, right next to the bathroom that was in there as well.

"Everything in here belonged to your Mother." Dumbledore began as he flicked the light switch on in the closet, "I would assume that most of her clothes should fit, so," he stopped talking; not even bothering to finish his sentence. Vasara slowly stepped into the large closet of endless silky gowns featured in all sorts of styles and colors. Vasara couldn't help but smile,

"My mother had exquisite tastes." She softly murmured as she stopped to admire a sapphire blue gown. With careful hands she took the dress off its hanger and draped it neatly over her arm before she turned and left the closet to go into the bathroom. "Be right out, Albus." She promised as she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Quickly, Vasara stripped off her wrinkly nightwear and tossed them into a pile in a corner. With the gown in both her hands, she lifted the soft fabric up to her face and inhaled its scent; it smelled faintly of sweet roses. After unzipping the back she slid the gown over her head and stuck her arms into the sleeves that clung to her upper arms but then flowed out at her elbows. Then she watched in awe as the full skirt of the gown ran all the way down to the floor. Then after zipping the gown up, Vasara was amazed at how well the gown fit her; with the snug, scooped-cut bodice clinging to the small of her waist while also showing a tiny bit of cleavage at the very top, it was like the gown was made for her. Vasara quickly admired herself in the mirror before she gave a soft proud smile and reopened the bathroom door so she could waltz on out. Vasara quickly found herself loving the feeling of the silk against her skin as well as the gentle sway of the skirt when she walked. When she stopped in front of Dumbledore, she did a slow twirl so he could inspect everything.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked. Dumbledore gave her a soft affectionate smile,

"Beautiful, my dear. Absolutely astounding." He answered. Then he reached behind him and pulled out a pair of matching slippers, "Here, you'll need these as well." He added as he held the shoes out to her. Vasara took them with a smile before she gently placed them on her petite feet. When she rose to her full height again, she gave a soft giggle of happiness before she twirled about once more and walked over to a small elegant vanity and took a seat on the small stool before a mirror; on the vanity in front of the mirror was a smooth wooden hairbrush. Vasara gently picked it up and examined the dainty thing before she began to run it through her tangled hair from the previous night. When her dark strawberry blonde hair ran like silk down to her lower back, she gently put down the hairbrush and sat back in her seat. There was something about being in her mother's room, wearing her clothes, using her possessions that brought a happy warm feeling to Vasara's heart; even though her mother had been dead for 16 years and she never got the chance to know her, Vasara could feel her mother's loving presence.

"You look exactly like her you know, your mother." Vasara glanced in the mirror over at her godfather,

"I do?" she asked.

"Oh yes. You have her face, eyes, smile," Dumbledore gave a soft laugh, "The only thing that shows from your father is your hair, he had the more reddish color, your Mother's was a golden brown." Dumbledore then made his way over to stand behind Vasara;

"Now there's only one thing missing." He stated while he lifted something up in his hands and gently placed in on top of Vasara's head. It was a beautiful tiara-like headband that was bejeweled around the edge with blue stones; it of course matched the color of her gown as well.

"Oh Albus!" Vasara breathed out as she stared at the hairpiece in the mirror, "It's beautiful!"

"Yes it is….your mother always wore one with whatever attire she had picked out for the day; every single one she owned was in a different color and design……so, are you ready to head out?" he quickly asked.

"Uh yes…let's go." Vasara answered as she rose to her feet and gracefully walked over to her godfather who took her by the arm. In a second, they left Vasara's home and reappeared out in front of a large building. Above the towering stone archway, in bold letters, were the words _**Gringotts' Bank for Wizards. **_As the two of them walked side by side into the massive bank, Dumbledore leaned down slightly to whisper in Vasara's ear,

"Just let me do the talking." He said with a quick wink as they swiftly approached a tall desk where a goblin sat stamping a stack of papers, "Excuse me sir," Dumbledore began; Vasara simply stood to the side and watched as her godfather handled the task; the goblin glanced up at Dumbledore, "Miss Vasara Thompson would like to make a withdrawal from her family's account." He stated. Vasara watched as the Goblin turn his eyes upon her and arch an eyebrow,

"A Miss Thompson you say, eh?" The goblin began, "I haven't heard that name in these parts for sixteen years."

"And I'm sure that you know why of course." Dumbledore murmured softly, almost as if it was a secret; the Goblin gently nodded his head,

"Yes, yes, yes," the goblin answered quickly before clearing his throat and turning his attention back onto to Vasara, "Welcome back, Miss Thompson." He formally stated; Vasara could only silently nod her head. "Does Miss Thompson have her key?" he asked Dumbledore, who on cue, pulled a small silver key out of his robes before he handed it over to the Goblin's now open hand. As his long fingers closed around the key, he quickly got up from his desk and began walking around it to where Vasara and Dumbledore stood. Just as he approached them, he said "Follow me," before he walked right past them and headed to another part of the Bank; Vasara and Dumbledore quickly followed behind him. He led them down into the cellars of the bank where all the vaults were kept. After about fifteen minutes of walking, they stopped in front of a huge door. "Vault 665," the goblin stated as he walked up to the door with the silver key in his hand; he quickly placed it in the door's lock and gave it a turn. Vasara heard a surprisingly loud click from it before the Goblin pushed open the door of her parents' vault. The goblin politely stepped to the side to allow Dumbledore and Vasara to enter; Dumbledore went in first, followed by a very dazed Vasara. Mountains of gold coins were somehow neatly stacked inside; they covered the walls, floor, and the decent sized table that rested in the center of it,

"Oh my…" Vasara breathed out, her turquoise eyes wide in disbelief. As she gazed in wonder about the room, Dumbledore went straight to work; he stepped over to one of the many stacks of coins and began counting out some money. Within minuets, he finished and soon pulled out a black velvet bag in which he started putting the counted coins in before tying up the bag.

"This ought to get you through the next couple of months." He stated as he walked over to where Vasara stood, "Come, we've finished here." He murmured. Vasara and Dumbledore then left the money vault which closed the second they exited its doorway. The Goblin had already left to go back to his desk so the two of them swiftly left the cellars and soon after, that bank. As they exited the very large bank, they found themselves standing in the bustling streets of Diagon Alley.

"Well," Dumbledore began, "That was fun." He stated teasingly causing a smile and soft giggle to escape from Vasara,

"Oh yes, the time of my life." She answered. Dumbledore once again linked arms with Vasara,

"Let me show you around." he began as he started to lead her down a street to where a ton of small shops were aligned right to one another. They didn't get very far before a small house elf appeared out of nowhere and began pulling on the back of Dumbledore's robes.

"Sir, sir," it spoke frantically; Dumbledore and Vasara turned around to see the small elf who was dressed in a dark purple tunic nervously wring his hands,

"Yes Link?" Dumbledore answered calmly, "….what is it?" he asked.

"Sir, urgent message. Look." The house elf called Link replied while he pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it over to Dumbledore.

"Whose it from?" he asked as he swiftly opened the letter up and pulled out the neatly folded paper inside it.

"He wouldn't say, sir." Link answered as Dumbledore quickly scanned the letter in his hands. Vasara then watched as a distressed look came across Dumbledore's face.

"Albus?" she softly called to him.

In a quick flash, Dumbledore reached over and took Vasara by her arm firmly; before she could say anything, they apparated back to her new neighborhood.

"Albus, what's going on?" she asked concernedly.

"I must go." He answered as he released Vasara's arm.

"Why?" she demanded.

"Hogswarts business, my dear, it is most urgent I return at once." He replied quickly. You're just a mile or so from your house, I trust you can find your way back?" he asked. Vasara quickly glanced down the road to see her manor from a distance,

"Yes." She answered,

"Good. Quickly get back there and stay there until you hear from me." He softly ordered, Vasara turned her head back to look at her godfather,

"But Albus," she began to protest but before she could say one more word, he apparated out of sight. Vasara let out a soft frustrated sigh before she lightly shook her head disapprovingly. A soft tug on the back of her gown quickly brought her to attention and she turned about to see Link the house elf standing shyly behind her,

"Dumbledore's gone you know," she pointed out softly, Link nodded his head,

"Link knows, Mistress. Master Dumbledore gave Link orders to stay with you." He answered obediently,

"Thank you, Link. But that's not necessary." Vasara murmured as she started to move around him to start heading down the long street to her home. Link quickly followed behind,

"Oh but it is, Mistress. Link has his orders." He pointed out; Vasara sighed,

"Alright fine, let's just get on back to the manor." She grumbled softly. Link gave a short bow,

"Yes Mistress." He answered as he walked behind her.

Vasara quickly noticed that there were actually very few houses on her street; in fact the closest one to hers was like half a mile away and it was the one that she and Link were almost passing by. It was a manor like her own, only style very differently and had a towering black gate at the foot of it's driveway; a massive black 'M' rested in the center.

"Link?" Vasara softly spoke out, "Do you know who lives there?" she asked curiously. Link turned his head to stare at the black gate,

"Uhhh…..yes Mistress. Link believes that Manor belongs to the Malfoy family." He answered. Vasara froze in mid step before she turned her eyes upon the small elf,

"You kidding right?" she asked in disbelief; Link shook his head slowly, Vasara groaned before she quickened her pace. "Well that's just marvelous right there." She grumbled to herself,

"Something wrong Mistress?" Link asked as he hurriedly tried to keep up with Vasara's long and quick strides down the sidewalk, "You seem upset." He stated softly

"I am." She replied,

"Why?" he asked curiously,

"Well does a 'Draco Malfoy' live in that house?" she threw back

"Yes." Link answered,

"That's why. The knowledge that he's now my neighbor does not appeal to me one bit." She muttered.

"Oh…." Was all Link said as they finally began moving far away for the Malfoy manor towards their own. As Vasara began to reflect on all that had happened that day, she still could not get over the fact that a certain blonde and grey eyed boy lived just down the street from her new home,

"This is just my life…." She grumbled softly as she marched up her driveway and headed for the front door with Link tailing behind.


	6. Chapter 5: The Letter

Chapter five: The Letter

After stepping inside her elegant manor, Vasara silently began walking towards the grand staircase while Link closed the front door behind them.

"If you need me Link, I'll be in my mother's…" Vasara paused for a second, "….my bedroom." She corrected herself as she climbed up the marble stairs. If Link ever did reply, Vasara never heard it before she reached the top of the stairs and headed to her bedroom. Upon entering the gentle, blue room, Vasara closed the door behind her before she walked over to her large bed and collapsed on top of it. A she stared up at the towering canopy above her head, a restless feeling settled within her.

"What is Albus up to?" she asked out loud. A soft pop sounded in the room and Vasara quickly sat up on the bed; Link stood just a few feet from the door.

"Pardon Link's intrusion, Mistress….but I have a letter for you." He shyly squeaked. Vasara cocked an eyebrow.

"A letter?" she repeated, "…is it from Albus?" she quickly asked; Link shook his head.

"No Mistress." He answered as he slowly approached the side of the bed and extended the letter out towards Vasara. She gently took it from the small elf and gazed curiously down on the envelope she now had in her hands; the front of it was blank and when she flipped it over, the only on the back was a dark green serpent seal that held the envelope closed. Without taking her eyes away from the letter, Vasara spoke up,

"Link, who delivered this?" she asked.

"Link does not know. It arrived anonymously just moments after you came home." He answered before quickly adding, "Would Mistress like some tea?"

Vasara quickly glanced over at Link before she gave him a soft nod, "Uh yes….tea would be nice."

"Ok, Link will go and make some for you." He replied before apparating out of the bedroom; Vasara then turned her attention back onto the letter. It was a blank envelope that was tightly sealed in the back; with careful hands, Vasara broke the seal and opened it up. After she pulled out the piece of paper inside it, she slowly unfolded it and was then greeted by familiar handwriting. Vasara let out a soft sigh of relief as she recognized her godfather's penmanship,

"_**Vasara,**_

_**Looks like there's going to be a slight change in plans. It is my wish that you now come to Hogswarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry where you shall spend the year. There, you shall receive an education in the magic arts, as well as being kept under my watch. I'm sending a trusted friend of mine over to your house tonight to pick you up and escort to the school. Be ready and packed. I'll explain more to you when you arrive. **_

_**~ Your Godfather A.**_

Vasara stared blankly at the worded piece of paper that she held in her hands,

"wha'the heck is going on??" she asked out loud. She then quickly reread the message, making sure that she understood what Albus had wrote. Groaning, Vasara stood up from the bed,

"Link!?" she called out as she headed over to her closet. A few seconds later the house elf popped into her bedroom carrying a tea tray,

"You called Mistress?" Link answered.

"Yes. It looks like I'm in need of a trunk for traveling. D you know where one might be?" Vasara asked.

"Link knows. Shall I go and bring it here?" he asked obediently as he walked over to a nightstand by Vasara's bed and placed the tray down.

"That would be most helpful Link, thank you." Vasara answered kindly. Then as quickly as Link came, he was gone to complete his task. Vasara then turned on the closet light and walked inside. "You have impeccable timing, Albus…"she sarcastically muttered under her breath with a soft shake of her head. As she started going through what clothes she should bring, Link appeared once more with a fairly large trunk.

"Here it is, Mistress." He called to her outside the closet. Vasara glanced over at the small elf standing obediently outside next to the trunk; she gave the elf a warm smile,

"Thank you, Link. Now would you mind helping pack?"

Almost instantly, Link hurried inside the closet. Vasara then started pulling gowns off their hangers and neatly handed them down to Link; when his arms were full, he quickly ran out and gently packed them into the trunk. Together, the two of them ended up packing up almost half of the closet into the trunk; and all of that included from daytime outfits to nightgowns with matching dressing gowns and slippers. After her clothes were packed away, Link closed and locked the trunk up for travel. Then Vasara found a small handbag in which she put her more personal effects such as a hairbrush, some makeup, and other small odds and ends. After all of that was done, she placed her bag on top of her trunk and walked back over to her bed. Link followed behind her and when she took a seat on the soft mattress, Link went over and pulled her a hot cup of tea,

"Here's your tea, Mistress." He stated as he handed her the steaming cup. She took it with grateful hands and gave Link an appreciative smile,

"Thank you, Link." He gave her a shy smile back,

"Your welcome……so….Mistress is going somewhere?" Link softly stated. Vasara nodded her head as she took a sip of the hot, sweet liquid that she held in her hands,

"Mmhmm…seems that Albus now wants me to come to Hogswarts." Vasara answered.

"Oh! Hogswarts is a nice place. Mistress will like going there." Link stated cheerfully. Vasara smiled again,  
"Think so?" she asked amusedly.

"Oh yes, 'tis a beautiful school. Plus on the Brightside, you'll be close to your godfather."

Vasara raised a soft eyebrow,

"You knew about Albus being my godfather?" she asked curiously; Link nodded,

"Mmhmm. Albus explained it to me when he assigned me to be your servant. Link knows it's suppose to be a secret, so fear not, Link will tell no one." He assured. Vasara simply smiled. "So, when does Mistress leave?" he asked. Vasara softly shrugged.

"Whenever my 'escort' gets here." She answered dully.

"Ah." Link answered. "Well Link is going to finish his chores downstairs. If Mistress needs Link, just call." He stated softly before apparating out of the room, leaving Vasara alone to her thoughts.

"He's a sweet elf." She noted in her mind as she took another sip of her tea. As she finished her tea in silence, a drowsy feeling settled on Vasara; she put the empty tea cup back on the tray beside the bed before she laid down. For a few minuets, she stared up at the ceiling blankly but then her eyes felt heavy and she soon found herself falling asleep…….


	7. Chapter 6: Off to school

Chapter 6: Off to school

A firm hand came down on Vasara's sleeping form and shook her awake. At the contact, her eyes snapped open and she bolted up in bed. Her head frantically looked around before they landed on a tall figure dressed in black robes standing next to her bed. Just as she was about to scream in fright, her eyes recognized the figure and her fear soon turned to anger.

"You!" she spat out. Severus Snape cocked a dark eyebrow, "I guess knocking before entering a woman's chamber means nothing to you?" she threw at him as she quickly rose off the opposite side of the bed from him.

"That rule applies to visiting. I'm not here to visit now am I? I'm here strictly on business." He coolly answered.

"You're the escort Albus sent?" she asked in slight disgust.

"Surprised?" he threw back.

"Yes, actually I am. I expected someone with a little more…..decency." she answered boldly. Snape's dark eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked in his low, unfeeling voice. Vasara nodded. "Good. I've already sent your things to the school, they will be there when you arrive." He stated.

"Fine." Vasara mumbled uninterestedly. Snape glared across at the young woman before he swiftly walked around the bed to where she stood and firmly took hold of her arm in one of his large hands. He then yanked her close to him,

"Brace yourself." He warned. Before Vasara could protest against his actions, she felt the familiar dropping of her stomach soon she along with Snape, vanished from her room. It took only a few minuets before they reached their destination but once Vasara's feet were on solid ground again, she defiantly yanked her arm out of Snape's grasp. They had appeared right at the grand entrance of the school; Snape started leading the way inside,

"This way, Miss Thompson." He called back over his broad shoulder, "Hurry up now." He ordered irritably. Vasara glared daggers at his retreating form before she stomped after him. They entered the school and walked down multiple hallways until they came to a familiar looking stairwell. Snape stopped right next to the spiraling stairs before he spun about to Vasara's approaching form,

"The Headmaster is waiting for you in his office." He coolly stated. Vasara kept her head high as she walked past the tall man to the beginning of the stairs,

"Thank you." She replied without emotion. Then without another word she quickly climbed the stairs. At the top, she swiftly walked into her godfather's office that was once again left open. Only this time, Albus wasn't inside waiting for her. "Albus?" she called as she walked further inside the large office. He didn't respond. "Al…" she tried again but stopped midway because of a sudden roaring noise. She quickly spun about and found herself facing a large fireplace that was alit with bright green flames. Suddenly a figure walked out, it was Albus. Vasara raised a hand up to her left breast and placed it over her pounding heart, "Albus…." She breathed out in relief. Albus' blue eyes landed on Vasara and softened at the sight of his godchild.

"Ah, there you are, my dear. You're earlier than I expected." He stated lightly as he walked over to where she stood.

"Yes well, your….escort doesn't waste time in completing his assignments."

Albus gave her a soft smile, "That's Professor Snape for you."

"So Albus, why have you sent for me?" Vasara quickly asked. Albus' smile faded to a grim expression,

"Come my dear, let's sit down." Said Albus. The two of them quickly walked over and took a seat on the couch, "Now this news might be a bit shocking so prepare yourself my dear." He warned softly; Vasara swallowed quickly before nodding her head, signaling for him to continue. "Ms. Flox appears to be missing."

Vasara's mouth dropped open in shock, "What?" she breathed out, "Since when?" she demanded,

"On the night Hogsmade was attacked, Ms. Flox fled to a Hotel that she and I had agreed to incase something like this had happened. Well according to witnesses, she checked in late that night, but the next night, her room was found empty and torn apart. People claimed that they heard foul play from her room and they sent an official to check it out."

"And she was no where to be seen?" Vasara finished softly.

"Not a trace of her has been found." He gravely confirmed.

"Does no one have a lead?" She asked. Albus sighed,

"Only one." Albus answered. Vasara stared into her godfather's blue eyes and instantly knew the answer,

"Death Eaters…?" She whispered breathlessly. Albus nodded,

"The Dark Mark was found above the Hotel that night."

"And you believe that her disappearance has something to do with me?" Vasara questioned quietly.

"I'm not sure, my dear. But I can't deny that it's a great coincidence; first with Hogsmade and now this?" Albus softly shook his head, "I just can't take the risk if it is."

Vasara nodded her head, understanding the dire situation, "I see…"

Albus sighed again, "For now, I'm going to have to ask you to never leave Hogswarts grounds, never walk alone, and always tell me where you'll be at all times." Vasara opened her mouth to protest but closed it once more,

"Yes Albus." She answered obediently while bowing her head.

"One more thing Vasara," Albus added causing Vasara to look back up at her godfather, "…only the most trusted members on my staff know about you being my goddaughter, and they have sworn an oaf of secrecy and protection for it as well. No one besides those people and myself must know about it. Understand?" he seriously asked.

"Yes Albus." She answered again.

"Good girl. Now until the school year starts up, which will be in two days actually….you'll stay here in my office. But once school does start, you'll be given your own personal chamber somewhere in the castle."

"Uh Albus, how's the whole 'school thing' going to work out?" she asked curiously.

"I've arranged private lessons with some professors around school to help you catch up with other students of your age. Once they feel that you're ready, we'll move you into classes with students." Albus explained

"Right." Vasara answered.

"Now that we've got that matter settled, how about some dinner?" said Albus. Vasara smiled softly.

"Why not?" she answered. Albus clapped his hands and a tray of food appeared before them. As they ate their dinner, Vasara's mind kept straying back to the thought of poor Ms. Flox being captured by ruthless Death Eaters; Albus obviously read her thoughts because he ended up reaching a comforting hand over to Vasara's shoulder,

"Don't worry Vasara, things will be ok." He murmured gently.

"I hope so Albus." Vasara answered.


	8. Chapter 7: We Meet Again

CHAPTER 7: We Meet Again

Vasara spent those two quiet days reading her new school books in her Godfather's office and exploring the castle. Just like Albus had stated, School came around and Vasara found herself being moved to a different part of the castle. Which of course, she didn't really mind cause it gave her the opportunity to walk around more. Her new chamber was a decent size with a bed, a bathroom, and a tiny living space that was well furnished for its size. She spent the entire day rearranging her apartment to her liking before she once again settled down in a comfy armchair by the small fireplace to continue reading her books. Vasara, knowing that her own classes started the next day, wanted to get a head start on her lessons. It wasn't till around dinner time that Vasara stopped her work; it was also when she heard the portrait door open up and someone quickly entered her chamber. Vasara turned her head to see Albus walking over to where she sat,

"Now Vasara, the students are just arriving, aren't you going to come out?" Albus asked. Vasara smiled softly,

"Albus if you haven't noticed that if I went out in front of the whole school, I'd stick out like a daisy in a rose garden." Vasara wittily pointed out signaling to her coal colored gown that she wore.

"Mmm hardly a daisy if you ask me but….I see your point." Albus answered, "Which is why I brought these." He added as he pulled out a neat pile of clothes in his arms. "Your uniform." He stated. Vasara smiled before rising to her seat and walking over to her godfather. In his arms he carried a simply white blouse, a grey school skirt that would stop a few inches above her knees, a long black robe with flowing sleeves and simple dress shoes. He handed the pile of clothes over to Vasara who stared down at them with great interest, "Well go on now, try them on." He encouraged playfully. Vasara looked up and smiled before she practically ran to her bedroom to change her clothes. It took her only five minuets to get into her new uniform that fitted her like a glove and once she was dressed and robed she then quickly brushed her hair till it ran like silk before she pinned it half up and let the rest flow down her back. Then after applying some makeup to her face, she quickly walked back into the room where Albus was waiting for her.

"Ta da!!" she exclaimed happily as she did a quick turn for him to see. Albus laughed before he smiled approvingly.

"It suits you. You'll blend right in." he stated.

"Good!" Vasara answered happily. Albus then offered his arm,

"Shall we?" he asked politely,

"Lets." Vasara answered. Then the two of them walked arm in arm out of Vasara's new chamber over to the Great Hall. Upon entering the still empty Great Hall, Vasara and Albus unlinked arms to look more like student and Professor but on their faces they wore a smile that held their secret. All the other Professors had gathered at the very end of the Great Hall and were seated at their table waiting for the students.

"You'll be put in Griffindor for your house. Therefore when the students arrive, you'll sit with your house at this table." Albus directed pointing to one of the four long tables that were set up for the students.

"Ok. And where are the students exactly?" Vasara asked curiously, before Albus could answer, behind them they could hear the growing voices of hundreds of excited students. "Uh never mind." Vasara answered herself with a soft giggle. Albus chuckled,

"And this is where I leave you my dear." He explained as he started to walk up to where the rest of the Professors sat, Vasara watched him leave before she took a seat at the table Albus had pointed out. Within a few minuets the Great Hall started to crowd with the many students of the school; every student moved to take a seat at their house table. When a group of students in Griffindor came over and took a seat around Vasara, she offered them a silent, friendly smile. One of the students who had taken a seat across from her, a handsome boy with dark hair and dark green eyes with glasses, returned the smile,

"Hello." He greeted.

"Evening." Vasara replied. The boy quickly looked Vasara over,

"I'm afraid I don't remember seeing you around school. Have we met before?" he asked curiously. Vasara softly shook her head,

"No. This is my first time here." She answered

"Oh!" the boy answered with surprise, "You a transfer?"

"Uh…yeah something like that." Vasara answered with a nervous laugh. The boy smiled again,

"Well welcome to Hogswarts." The boy stated while he extended a hand out to Vasara who politely shook his hand with her own, "I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

Vasara's eyes widened softly in surprise but she kept her composure,

"Vasara Thompson." She returned with a shy smile. Harry then glanced to his left at a redheaded boy, who was arguing with a wavy-haired girl,

"Uh these are my friends, Ron and Hermione." He stated amusedly; at their names, the two friends turned toward Harry, "Guys, this is Vasara, she's new to Hogswarts." He informed. The redheaded boy turned his brown eyes upon Vasara and he gave a bashful smile,

"Hi." Said Ron, the girl named Hermione also looked Vasara over and offered a sincere smile,

"Hello Vasara. I'm Hermione Granger." She politely introduced. Vasara smiled back,

"Nice to meet you." Vasara answered. Hermione nodded her head in agreement before she turned back to Ron and picked up their argument. Harry softly shook his head as he and Vasara watched the two friends go at each other with their words,

"Sorry about them. But they've been arguing like this from the moment they met." Harry apologized. Vasara quickly shook her,

"Oh don't worry about it." She assured with a smile, "Besides I'm sure that with both of them being friends, things are never boring."

Harry threw his head back and laughed, "Oh you have no idea." Harry was about to say something else when the sound of a glass chimes echoed throughout the hall silencing every student. Vasara turned to see Albus standing up from his seat at his table,

"Welcome to another year at Hogswarts." He began, "Now before we begin our feast, I'd like to say a few words…."

Though Vasara was trying hard to listen to her godfather's speech, she found it difficult with Harry staring across at her. Her turquoise eyes kept wandering back over to his emerald green ones and when their gazes met, they found themselves smiling. Pretty soon, the speech was done and the food appeared which Vasara was happy for, not because she was hungry but because it gave her a reason to look away from Harry. Throughout the dinner, she and Harry talked about all sorts of things, every now and then Ron or Hermione would join in only to end up carrying on the conversation between the two of them. Soon the great dinner was over, and everybody was preparing to leave. Vasara, not wanting to get stuck in the traffic that was surely to come with all the anxious students, was the first to get up from the table. As she began walking to leave the Great Hall, Harry quickly appeared at her side,

"You know," he began, "If you haven't been given a tour of the school yet, perhaps sometime after classes tomorrow I could show you around." He sweetly offered. Vasara looked over at him and gave him a warm smile,

"That would be nice, thank you." She answered. Right as they left the Great Hall and came over to the Stairs, they passed by a group of unfriendly looking boys who were snickering at them. A few of them even had the nerve to whistle at Vasara who in turn glared dangerously at them.

"Just ignore them. Slytherins aren't worth the time." Harry irritably informed. Just as Harry and Vasara were about to ascend the stairs, a voice called to Harry causing him to tense and turn around,

"Well, well, look boys. Saint Potter's gone and got himself a girlfriend. What a pathetic couple." The boy sneered. Vasara turned around to see who the voice belonged to. Her eyes widened softly at the familiar face,

"This doesn't surprise me…" she muttered in her head as her eyes landed on Draco Malfoy.

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy." Harry warned aggressively. Draco smirked,

"Or what Potter? How's your nose by the way?" Draco answered; Harry would've advanced on Draco if Vasara hadn't reached a hand out and placed it on Harry's shoulder,

"Don't! He's not worth it." Vasara softly pleaded.

"That's not what the girls tell me, sweetheart." Draco snickered causing his group of boys to howl with laughter. Vasara, unaffected by his suggestive comment, raised an eyebrow,

"Is that so? And what girls are you talking about? Because all I see is you surrounding yourself with boys." She threw back. At that comment, Draco's smirk vanished and the group of guys he was with all spaced out from each other in disgust at what Vasara was suggesting. Harry beside her was laughing. Draco stormed up to where Vasara stood on tall on the third step,

"What did you say?" he demanded. Vasara smirked.

"Do you really want me to repeat myself?" she challenged.

"I think someone needs to teach you how to respect your superiors." He hissed. Vasara rolled her eyes before she leaned down slightly,

"Open your eyes, I'm the one standing above you." She boldly threw back while rising to her full height on the stairs. It was true, with her on the first couple of stairs she literally, stood above Draco. Vasara saw with triumph, Draco's lips tremble with rage. And in one swift movement, Draco used his long legs to step up to where Vasara stood. The two of them now stood toe to toe; Draco was so close that his chest almost touched Vasara's and as he glared down on her now shorter form, she could feel his hot breath tickle her cheeks. But Vasara would not be moved or intimidated; she raised her head high up to stare into Draco's eyes.

"You're a fiery one, aren't you?" he growled angrily. Vasara raised an eyebrow,

"Does that bother you?" she threw back. Surprisingly Draco smirked and softly shook his head,

"Why do I get the feeling that I've met you before?" he asked outloud. "That fieriness of yours is unmistakably familiar to my memory."

"That's because we have met before…unfortunately." Vasara informed.

"Where?" Draco demanded as his eyes searched Vasara's face for an answer. Vasara raised an eyebrow before she pulled her gaze away from Draco and looked over at Harry who stood with cold eyes and fisted hands, glaring at Draco; Vasara stepped back from Draco and started climbing the stairs,

"You coming Harry?" she called, Harry's eyes softened as they quickly looked over at Vasara before he started following after her, both were completely ignoring the fuming Draco behind them,

"Hey!" Draco called after them, Vasara stopped to turn around once more,

"Maybe this will refresh your memory." She called back as she held up her hand with only the middle finger sticking up in the air. Draco's eyes widened with recognition causing Vasara to smirk before she spun around and walked away with Harry.


	9. Chapter 8: First day of Classes

Chapter 8: First day of Classes

"Vasara that was brilliant!" Harry praised while laughing, "I mean Malfoy's face was priceless!"

Vasara smiled, "Well serves him right. He's nothing but an excessively cocky guy who needs an attitude adjustment." She stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh he needs more than that, trust me. But that's a good start." Harry spoke playfully. When the two reached the floor where Vasara's private chamber was, Vasara stopped on the stairs and turned to Harry,

"Well this is my floor." She informed. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You're not coming to the common room?" he asked curiously.

"Nope. I had asked Al...Professor Dumbledore if he could place me in my own room since I'm new here and wouldn't want to add another body to the girl's dormitory. I heard it was fairly crowded already." Vasara carefully lied while she gave Harry a soft smile.

"Oh well then…alright. I guess I'll just see you tomorrow then?" he asked.

"Of course. Goodnight Harry." She replied politely,

"Goodnight Vasara." He answered. With those words said, Vasara turned away from him and went off down the hallway that would take her to her private chamber. At the portrait, she softly mumbled the password and stepped through the door once it was open. It closed behind her as she walked further into her chamber before she headed for her bedroom. Once there, Vasara quietly stripped off her school uniform and neatly had it folded for the next day before she laid it on top of her trunk at the foot of her bed. Then she quickly pulled out a purple nightgown and threw it over her head; after getting dressed in her Pjs, she made a quick trip to the bathroom to brush her teeth before she then climbed into bed. With one clap of her hands, the light went out, and her bedroom went dark and Vasara soon found herself falling asleep….

The sunlight peered in through the bedroom window, shining directly on Vasara's peaceful face. Sensing the light behind her eyes, Vasara stirred and woke up. Her turquoise eyes opened slowly first before she sleepily forced herself to sit up in bed. She groaned quietly and raised a hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes. Something hit her at that moment,

"School….." Her eyes snapped themselves awake and glanced over at her nightstand to see that her clock read 8:30 and her first class would start at 9. She let out a quick swore before she flung herself out of bed; she quickly snatched her pile of clothes and ran for the bathroom to get dressed. It took her about five minuets to get completely dressed and ready. Then once her teeth and hair were brushed and she had applied some make up to her face, Vasara quickly left her bedroom, went out of the portrait and headed downstairs to the Main Hall. Most students had already left after having their breakfast so by the time Vasara had entered, more than half the students were gone. She quickly made her way over to the place she had sat the night before and took a seat. A plate of food was still out, like it had been waiting for her. Vasara couldn't help but glance over at the front of the hall to where the Professors sat to see Albus still sitting at the table; he gave her a secret wink, an action Vasara returned with a soft smile before she faced front and began eating her breakfast. Since she was running short on time, she ate rather quickly and by the time she had finished, someone called her name.

"Ah Miss Thompson, may I see you for a minuets?" came Albus' voice. Vasara at first stared blankly at her Godfather since she was not use to him using such formal acknowledgements. But nonetheless, Vasara got up from the table and obediently walked over to Dumbledore .

"Yes sir?" she replied. Albus gave her a soft smile before he extended out a hand which held a piece of paper,

"Here, this is your schedule of classes. Now I've already talked to you about how things are going to work for a little while but the only exception to that would be your Defense Against the Dark Arts. In that particular class you will be joined with other students." He informed. Vasara took the paper and quickly read over the words. It was a fairly small schedule,

Potions

Herbology

Study Hall

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Vasara read over the schedule once more, her brows furrowed softly in confusion,

"Uh Professor?" she began, "….isn't this a bit….small?" she asked curiously.

"Well since you're new, we don't want you to be overwhelmed with classes, so we've simply broke the normal length of the schedule in half. When you've …..adjusted, we'll add on." He explained. "But those classes listed there are probably the most important ones you should focus on." He added.

"Ah…well ok." Vasara murmured softly. Albus chuckled,

"Good. Now I believe you should probably get going, classes will be starting in 10 minuets." He reminded. Vasara nodded in understanding,

"Yes, Professor." She obediently replied before she turned away, with the list in her hand and swiftly walked away, leaving the great Hall. Remembering where the Potion's class was from when she was exploring the school a few days earlier, Vasara quickly headed down one of the many corridors of the school, weaving her way through the bustling groups of students till she appeared in front of a big wooden door. She pushed the door open and stepped inside while quietly closing it behind her. The Potions room smelled both bitter and sweet from the fumes coming from a couple of cauldrons sitting up front. And since this was a private teaching, Vasara was the only one in the room; which she of course found odd because not even Professor Slughorn was present. As Vasara walked over and took a seat at a table in the front of the room, she softly called out,

"Uh Professor? Are you in?" she asked. When she was greeted by silence, she tried again, "Professor Slughorn?" she repeated a bit more loudly. The classroom door flung itself open and someone quickly strolled inside. Vasara had jumped slightly at the sudden disturbance and glanced over her shoulder expecting to see her new teacher, instead her eyes landed irritably on a certain blonde and gray-eyed boy. Vasara rose from her seat and turned about to face Draco Malfoy. Her arms came up and crossed themselves over her chest,

"This is a private lesson, what are you doing here?" she demanded. At the sound of a voice addressing him, Draco turned his cool gaze upon Vasara at the front of the room and froze

"Well, well, well, look who it is. The fiery, little vixen from last night." He stated mockingly. Vasara's eyes narrowed in a silent warning,

"I believe I had just inquired why you were here.." She answered irritably. Draco cocked an eyebrow,

"Did you now?" he scorned as he slowly approached the place where Vasara was standing.

"You're asking for trouble….." she pointed out in a warning tone.

"So what if I am? What can a girl like you do about it?" Draco returned with a smug smirk. Vasara lowered her arms back down to her side and started to feel for her wand, then it hit her. She had left her wand up in Dumbledore's office the night she had first come to Hogswarts. Knowing hat she was completely unarmed, Vasara lifted her chin up defiantly before she turned away from Draco and walked up to the long table in the very front that held three steaming cauldrons on it; there she gracefully walked around it and stopped, using it as a barrier between herself and Draco

"You're not even worth the effort." She retorted coolly as she pretended to take interest on the things laid out on the table.

"You sure about that?" Draco replied daringly. Vasara rolled her turquoise eyes,

"Absolutely. Now again I ask, why are you here?" she questioned. Draco smirked again,

"Nervous?" he returned smugly. Vasara gave a soft snort,

"Please," she began, "….you're about as intimidating as a baby unicorn." She boldly replied. All at once, the smirk vanished off Draco's handsome face and he slowly began walking towards the front table,

"You have no idea what I am capable of doing…." He spoke in a low, deadly tone. There was a look in his eyes that made Vasara grateful for the table in between them.

"Like I really care in the first place." She replied. Draco placed both hands on the table and leaned forward while Vasara held her ground,

"You should…." He threatened. The sound of a door opening caused Draco to suddenly pull back and turn around while Vasara glanced over his form; Professor Slughorn had just strolled on into the classroom. He instantly eyed the two teens and gave a polite smile,

"Ah Miss Thompson, good to see you've made it. I do apologize for running a bit late. Have I kept you waiting long?" he asked as he walked over to the table where both Draco and Vasara stood.

"No sir." She replied calmly. Professor Slughorn then turned to look at Draco,

"Ah….Mr. Malfoy…I don't recall you being assigned to this lesson at the moment….did you need something?" he asked.

Vasara saw Draco's jaw tighten before he shook his head, "No Professor….I was simply here to pick up my textbook." He answered before he walked away from the table and headed over to where a narrow cupboard was in the back of the room by the door before he opened it and pulled out a Potion's textbook. The without another word, he left.

"Strange boy…." Slughorn softly noted before he gave a quick shrug of his shoulders, "Now then, let's get started." He stated. Vasara listened intently as Professor Slughorn walked her though the purpose of Potion's class, explained to her the many lessons that she must learn through out the year, and he also asked her a few questions about her knowledge on the topic.

"Have you ever taken a Potion's class before?" he asked.

"No sir. This will be all new stuff to me." She answered.

"Well then. Let's just see how well you work with brewing. I've prepared a recipe for you on the table next to the cauldron on the left side. All the ingredients you'll need are already out on the table. Let's see how well you work." He stated, "You'll have until the end of class to finish it." he added, "…you may begin….now!"

Vasara wasted no time in asking questions. She quickly located a an empty cauldron of her own which she took and set up at her own able before taking up the recipe for the potion she was supposed to make and carefully read through its instructions. Her eyes widened softly at how complicated the potion sounded,

"Veritaserum…." Vasara lightly repeated the unfamiliar name softly, "….a truth potion; one that can make a person spill their innermost secrets unwillingly." She read. With a soft shrug of her shoulders, Vasara memorized the first few ingredients that she would need before she started on her task. Vasara followed the written instructions word for word, she worked diligently, only making occasional murmurs when she was repeating some of the steps out loud. When Professor Slughorn came over to her desk to tell her that time was up and to check her potion, Vasara was quite please when a look of astonishment cam across Slughorn's features,

"Impressive…" he noted as he stirred the contents in the cauldron, "….almost perfect." He commented before he looked over at Vasara who was waiting patiently for his analysis, "You sure you've never done this before?" he asked again. Vasara smiled before she gave a soft shrug,

"Beginners luck, I guess." She stated.

"Well Miss Thompson, I can already tell that it will be a great pleasure to have you in my class this year. And with that said you are dismissed." Professor Slughorn finished. Vasara nodded and smiled before she turned away from the table and headed for the door which was still open from when Draco had left. As she passed into the hallway that would take her to her next class, she felt a pair of eyes on her. Turning her head to the left, she spotted Draco Malfoy leaning up against the bottom of the large stairway. Vasara simply rolled her eyes as she strolled right past him, not even bothering to make eye contact.

"Next class….." Vasara murmured as she unfolded her schedule from a pocket in her robes, "….Herbology." With a shrug of her shoulder Vasara turned down a hallway that would take her to a door leading outside the Castle. As she pushed the large door open and stepped outside, she followed a stone path around the back which took her to a greenhouse where a woman named Professor Sprout waited patiently for her at its entrance.

"Ah Miss Thompson, glad to see you've made it. Didn't get lost on your way here did you now?" she asked, "….most first timers do." She added.

"No at all Professor." Vasara answered politely, "I've always had a good sense of direction." she finished with a soft smile.

"Good girl. Now let's walk you through the basics of Herbology." Professor Sprout stated as she led the way inside the greenhouse. Vasara spent the whole class time viewing all sorts of plants and learning their special properties. At the very end, she received a textbook for her studies. When Herbology was done, Vasara remembered that she now had a study hall the question was where though. With a soft shake of her head, Vasara entered back into the castle and went to the only place she felt was best for Study Hall; the Library. Though she has already been to the Library a couple times since her arrival, it always amazed her when she walked in and could see the many rows and rows of books they had. It somehow always managed to bring a smile to her face. Vasara choose to work at a small desk in the far back of the library, there it was quiet and somewhat secluded. After taking a seat at the desk, she pulled out her class schedule once more to give it a quick glance over. She had read about halfway down the sheet of paper before she found it snatched out of her hands from behind. Vasara gasped at the unexpected gesture before she turned about in her seat to see who had taken her paper.

"Well what do you know?" Draco Malfoy mocked, "….looks like you and I get to share a class together next period." He stated with a soft smirk. Vasara's eyes narrowed at his cockiness before she rose up from her seat and held a hand out fro her schedule.

"Give it here, Draco." She demanded softly. When Draco responded with only a quick raise of an eyebrow before folding the piece of paper and sticking it inside his robes, Vasara rolled her eyes before pulling her hand back.

"Fine. Keep it." She restated, "I already have it memorized anyway." She added before she grabbed her things off the desk and made a quick but graceful move around Draco's form. With her books tucked under one arm, Vasara walked off into one of the hundreds of rows of book they seemed to have in the library. Her eyes began to naturally browse the neatly stacked selection of books before she found herself picking one out and quickly skimming over its cover.

"Why do I get the impression that you don't seem to like me?" Draco's mocking voice asked from the beginning of the row of books. Vasara's head cocked itself to the side before she slowly turned her gaze upon the blonde guy leaning casually up against one of the book shelves.

"Are you of all people really asking me that?" she returned coolly before she turned her attention back onto the book she had in her hands, "Well then to put it words that even you should be able to understand, I find this book more interesting than that pathetic, cocky little display that would be your personality." She answered boldly.

At her words, Draco quickly closed the distance between the two of them before snatching the book right out of her hands. Vasara glanced down at where the book use to be in slight annoyance before she turned her body to face Draco, "I wasn't done with that." She stated calmly, staring Draco in the face. Draco's gray eyes had narrowed before he raised the hand that held the book he had just grabbed before he randomly shoved it back onto one the shelves that was right next to Vasara's head. Vasara glanced over at where he was now resting his hand and swallowed softly, "Do you mind?" She asked in a soft irritated voice. Draco's famous smirk reappeared on his face,

"Oh I'm sorry." He began, before he took a step closer and leaned in, "This getting too close for you?" He asked in a taunting tone. Vasara's turquoise eyes narrowed as well before she silently made a move to push past Draco once more. "Hey, hey, hey," Draco began before his other arm came and braced itself on the other side of Vasara's head, caging her in. "Not so fast. Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

Vasara quickly glanced around in hopes of seeing a way out the cage that Draco had formed around her, but when she realized that the only way she'd be able to get out was by ducking, Vasara let out a soft defeated sigh before leaning back against the supporting bookshelf behind her while crossing her arms over her chest,

"Apparently nowhere." She answered in a resentful tone. Before she lifted her chin up defiantly, "….what do you want Draco?" she asked in a cold tone.

Draco's smirk widened slightly before he leaned further down and closed the remaining space they had between them. "Let's get to know each other shall we?" he answered in a low, suggestive voice. When Vasara saw his grey eyes slowly and carefully trace over her face before landing on her lips, it wasn't a secret what Draco was thinking about. As Draco started to lean his head down towards Vasara's, a sudden voice brought him to a stop.

"Keep your hands off her, Malfoy!"

At the sound of the voice, Draco practically snarled in anger before he turned his head to the side to confront the person calling him out.

"Stay out of this Potter!" he snapped back.

Harry along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, stood with their wands out at the ready at the entrance of the two rows of books Vasara was caught in. Harry pointed his wand directly at Malfoy's head,

"Let. Her. Go!" he ordered. "Now."

Draco's hands that were right above Vasara's head, clenched into two tight fists.


	10. Chapter 9: Hostility?

Chapter 9:

Vasara glanced away from Harry and his friends to look back over at Draco. His piercing grey eyes burned into hers when she finally met his gaze. Draco took in a deep breath through his nose before he reluctantly stepped away from Vasara and lowered his arms back down to his side; his eyes never once left Vasara's face for a second as he backed off. And once he had put enough distance between him and her, Vasara swallowed softly before she moved past him to stand by Harry. Vasara met Harry's emerald green eyes and offered him a tiny smile of assurance before she nodded her head, signaling that he could lower his wand. Cautiously, Harry did lower his wand as did his friends before he sent one last death glare towards Draco while he placed his arm around Vasara's shoulders and led her away.

"You okay?" he asked as he turned his head to stare over at Vasara, his eyes bright with concern. Vasara nodded her head,

"Yeah I'm fine…he didn't hurt me." She answered. From behind, Ron let out a soft snort,

"No but that little rat had intentions of doing _**something**_." Ron mumbled. Vasara let out a quick sigh and shook her head,

"I don't think so." She replied calmly as the group exited the library and headed down one of the school's many corridors. Harry also took that time to drop his arm from Vasara's shoulders.

"Are you kidding me?" Ron answered. "You could see it in his face and everything." He stated. Hermione softly glared at Ron before she elbowed him in the gut.

"Hey!" he protested quietly while he rubbed his side with a hand,

"Hush Ronald." She ordered.

"Well its true…you all saw it…I'm just saying it." He answered defensively.

Vasara simply shook her head, "Guys it's alright. Honestly, Draco wasn't gonna actually do anything. What you guys saw, was him trying to intimidate someone who is unaffected by his….uh…" she sarcastically cleared her throat, "...charms." she explained.

"I don't care what he was trying to do…" Harry grumbled, obviously still very angry about what had happened in the library. "For him to even think about pulling a move like that…ugh… I should've hexed him." He stated as he stared straight ahead. Vasara lightly placed her hand on Harry's arm in response; when he turned his head to stare over at her, his gaze softened immensely before he too sighed,

"So what class do you have next?" he asked curiously.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." She answered.

"Oh good!" Hermione interjected, "We'll all be in class together then." She stated with a smile. Vasara glanced over at the only other girl in their group and smiled too,

"Yeah it'll be a nice change." Vasara answered.

The group then swiftly made their way through the school to get to their next class. As they approached the open door that would lead into the classroom, Vasara glanced over at Harry who was staring intently at her with a soft smile on his face. She smiled in response,

"What are you staring at?" she asked curiously. Harry blinked a couple of times before looking away to raise a hand up to scratch the back of his head,

"Oh…was I staring?" he returned with a tiny timid laugh. Vasara laughed too before shaking her head. Then without another word, the group entered the classroom where they then headed up to take their seats in the front. Ron sat at one end of the long table, followed by Hermione, Harry then Vasara who took the last seat on the other end of the table closest to the aisle. Pretty soon, once they were seated, everyone else who would also be taking the class filed into the room and took their seats as well. Through the chatter that was going on in the room, Harry leaned over by Vasara's ear to talk,

"So how has your day been?" he asked. Vasara turned towards him and smiled before shrugging,

"Fine…for it being the first day I guess." She replied. Harry smiled back and was getting ready to say something else but the room grew quiet as the teacher walked in and closed the classroom door. All heads turned to face front while their professor swiftly made his way up to the front of the room. When Vasara caught sight of her new teacher, a soft frown pulled down at her lips while she rolled her eyes.

"Oh great…" she mumbled under her breath.

Professor Snape, with his wand out and at the ready, stood front in center before the entire class, his dark eyes quickly scanning over the many faces of the students sitting at the desks.

"Who here can tell me what one should do if they ever found themselves under attack?" he asked in his low, mono tone voice. "No one? How disappointing."

Vasara glanced about the room to see that not a single hand was raised to answer the question; so after taking in a quick breath, Vasara slowly placed her hand in the air. Professor Snape eyed her disdainfully before he nodded his head in her direction,

"Yes Miss Thompson?" he dully inquired.

"If you're under attack…" She started, "….the best solution would be to fight back and try to disarm your opponent." She answered.

"Do you know how to disarm someone, Miss Thompson?" Professor Snape asked.

Vasara blinked a couple times at the question, "Uh…I know spells…" she answered with uncertainty.

"Spells are useless in less you know how to use them, Miss Thompson." Snape pointed out. "Everybody pair up and prepare yourself for dueling." Snape suddenly called out.

A bunch of unenthusiastic groans went around the room before everyone got out of their chairs and sought out a partner to work with. This must've been a routinely process because it seemed like everybody already had their partners picked out for the pairing took less than a minuet. Well everyone except Vasara who was the last one standing alone.

"Miss Thompson where is your partner?" Snape demanded. Vasara glanced around the room to see no else available before she softly shrugged her shoulders,

"Don't have one, I guess." She answered.

"Well then you're absolutely useless for this activity…go stand off to the side then and observe." Snape answered before he quickly waved his wand out in front of him and had all the desks and chairs in the room swept off to the side to provide space for dueling. Vasara did what she was told while everyone else with their partners lined up on one side of the room, waiting for instructions.

"Now with your partners, each of you will come out into the center of this room before the class and duel. Your goal…is to disarm your opponent. First up…"

As the names were called and each pair of students stepped forward to complete their task, Vasara silently stood off to the side by the abandoned tables and watched for the entire class period with great interest. Everyone had their own technique of dueling, some did it in ways Vasara had never seen or heard of before, while others were just strange and slightly awkward. When Harry and Ron went up, their duel lasted for about two minuets before the classroom door was lightly slammed open. Ron, who got distracted by the noise, was hit square in the chest by a spell that Harry had casted and was thrown off his feet. All heads turned to face the back of the room to see Draco Malfoy stroll into the classroom. Professor Snape did not look pleased but when did he ever?

"How nice of you to join us, Mr. Malfoy." Professor Snape stated in a slightly disapproving tone,

"Sorry Professor, I got caught up in some….unfinished business." Draco replied.

Snape's dark eyes narrowed softly at his words before his head snapped in the direction of where Vasara was standing,

"Well then Miss Thompson, looks like you've got a partner after all." Snape announced to the entire class,

Vasara glanced over at Draco for a quick second who returned her look before she turned her gaze back onto Snape, "…you have got to be kidding me." She replied in disbelief.

"Mr. Malfoy and Miss Thompson will be the next pair that we'll see." He declared to the class officially before he glance dove at a clock sitting on his desk. "….we'll start with them tomorrow seeing how we've run out of time for today. For homework, you're all to write a one page essay on a disarming spell. Choose whatever one you want, I don't care but have the paper here tomorrow when you first walk through the door." Professor Snape ordered, "…class dismissed." He finished.

Vasara watched Professor Snape move behind his desk with soft resentfulness before she collected her things and turned to leave. She swiftly weaved her way through the bustling bunch of students who were scurrying to collect their own possessions and found the door. As she patiently waited outside of the classroom for Harry and his friends to join her, a group of Slytherins walked out of the classroom and sneered as they passed on by. Vasara glared at their backs while they disappeared down the corridor for a quick moment; when she brought her gaze back in front she gasped in alarm as a pair of piercing grey eyes met hers. She naturally took a step back and bumped into the wall behind her before she frowned at the proud, smirking Slytherin boy in front of her,

"Have something to say Malfoy?" she asked irritably. Draco Malfoy smirked softly before he crossed his arms over his chest in response,

"Yeah I might." He replied his face suddenly going serious.

"Well?" she pushed. Malfoy took a menacing step closer,

"You got lucky today in the Library…but don't you think for a second that your so called bodyguards are always going to be around to protect you." He warned.

Vasara raised an eyebrow up at his threat, "Why so hostile, Draco?" she returned, unaffected by his words. Draco shook his head once before he took a step back,

"You haven't seen hostile yet, sweetheart." He replied before he turned on his heel and walked off.

Vasara watched him leave in puzzlement, not understanding what he seemed to have against her. Forgetting all about waiting for Harry, Vasara let herself follow Draco steps with the idea of confronting the handsome grey eyed boy and finding out.


	11. Chapter 10: What to do about you

Chapter 10:

Keeping her eyes locked onto the back of Draco's pale blonde head as he swiftly moved through the flow of students bustling about in the long corridors, Vasara silently trailed behind the Slytherin with the determination of getting some answers. As he suddenly made a sharp turn left down another hallway, Vasara pushed her way past a group of first years to glance around the corner only to see that Draco has completely vanished from sight.

"Wha…" Vasara stated out loud in confusion before she cautiously headed down the corridor herself, "…how…?" she asked herself. There were practically no doors there, that were unlocked at least and the only one that was, led into a girl's lavatory. With an irritated sigh, Vasara crossed her arms over her chest in deep thought. When she heard her name being called, she quickly spun about only to see Harry making his way right towards her.

"There you are, Vasara." He greeted with a boyish grin as he came to a stop in front of her. As his emerald green eyes glanced around the empty hallway they were in, a single eyebrow rose up into an arch, "What are you doing down here?" he asked curiously as he brought his attention back onto Vasara.

"Uhh…well…I…I was just…" Vasara began but stopped and shrugged a shoulder before she offered Harry a shy smile. Harry laughed and shook his dark head in response,

"Got lost, huh?" he guessed good naturedly.

"Uh…yeah…" She lied. Harry nodded his head in understanding before he reached out and took Vasara by the hand.

"Come on, why don't I show you around a bit? That way I won't have to worry about you getting lost again." He offered with a teasingly wink. Vasara smiled back softly and nodded her head politely.

"Alright." She answered before she allowed herself to be led away by Harry from the corridor she was certain Draco had disappeared down. As Harry walked her around the school, the two kept up some very pleasant conversations but it seemed that no matter what they talked about, Vasara's thoughts always appeared to trail back to a certain grey eyed boy. A fact that she started to realize was both frustrating…and yet…inviting. There was something unexplainable about that boy. And Vasara wanted to find out what.

* * *

"Who does that girl think she is?" Draco Malfoy thought out loud as he paced irritably back and forth across the floor with Vasara's last words still ringing in his head.

"_Why so hostile?"_

He gave a quick snort in response before he shook his head, "Infuriating woman…" he grumbled before he stopped his pacing to lean his back up against the wall behind him. He had his reasons for doing the things he does. Especially when it came to the new, spirited, girl in his year. Was she incredibly beautiful? Absolutely. But she was also independent and well read and…

"...and completely impervious." Draco finished out loud. That was what bothered Draco the most. There were really only too affects he has on people; one that either made them puppets to his irresistible charm or two caused them to shrink away nervously, not even daring to meet his gaze. And Vasara was immune to both.

With a frustrated groan, Draco pushed himself off the wall. Though Draco had not been able to get the image of Vasara out of his mind ever since he first laid eyes on her, running through the woods, he was not willing to let this girl get to him. Not now at least.

"I have things to do…" he softly stated before he raised his left arm up from his side and pulled back the long sleeve of his school robe. After sliding the white sleeve of his buttoned down shirt up past his forearm, he eyed the infamous dark mark symbol that was permanently etched by magic into his skin. "You would do well not to get in my way Vasara…" he warned out loud as if she would miraculously hear his message. "…it would be a shame if harm ever befell upon that pretty little face of yours."

Without another word, Draco tugged the sleeves back down his arm, hiding the Dark Lord's symbol before he stormed over to the room's exit, threw open the door and walked out.

* * *

The day flew on by to Vasara's surprise with tremendous speed. And since she did not have a full schedule like everyone else at the school, she was able to get all of her schoolwork out of the way, including the one page essay for Professor Snape's class. When dinner finally came around though, Vasara found herself craving not food, but some alone time so she fled to her private chambers for the evening.

Tossing her books upon the couch, Vasara went straight to her bedroom and got out of her school uniform, changing into a silky, short sleeved, floor length nightgown the perfect shade of pale green. She then sought out a hairbrush which she then used to brush out her long, dark strawberry blonde tresses till they fell in gentle waves down her back. With her hair all brushed out, she tossed it lightly over her left shoulder and weaved it into a tight and neat braid before tying it off with a piece of ribbon she found amongst her belongings. Sighing with content, Vasara turned on her heel and left her bedroom, moving into the main room once more. As she stepped down the few steps from her bedroom to the parlor room, her eyes instantly landed on a figure standing over by the fireplace. Vasara froze in alarm, a quick gasp escaping her lips before she looked the figure over and discovered who it was. Shaking her head softly, Vasara crossed the room,

"You almost gave me a heart attack, Albus." She confessed with a quick laugh. Albus Dumbledore, with his back facing Vasara, chuckled before he clapped his hands together once and a roaring fire lit itself up in the stone fireplace. With that task done, he turned about to face his goddaughter.

"Aren't you a bit young to be having one of those in the first place? He replied smartly. Vasara smiled at his playfulness before she placed both hands upon her hips,

"Aren't you suppose to knock before coming into a lady's chamber?" she threw right back.

Albus laughed, "Indeed." He answered, "…my apologies for startling you, dear girl." He answered sincerely.

Vasara shrugged a lazy shoulder, "Think nothing of it. We are family after all." She stated. "So what brings you hear tonight?" she asked curiously.

"Ah…" Albus murmured softly before he started reaching into the pockets of his robes, "Well I thought I'd drop on by to see how you were fairing since you didn't come to dinner tonight." He began.

"Oh..." Vasara answered, slightly surprised at the statement, "…yeah I just didn't feel like being around a whole bunch of people tonight." She explained. "I'm still a bit overwhelmed at everything." She confessed.

"Well you have reason to be." Albus answered, "…but everything is going smoothly right?" he inquired curiously.

Vasara nodded, "Oh yes, everything's just fine." She replied with a soft assuring smile.

Albus nodded his head, "Well then, I'll leave you now. You must've had a pretty busy day and could do with some rest." He stated knowingly before he began turning towards the door. He however paused in mid step. "Oh…" he exclaimed softly, "I almost forgot…." He began as he turned back towards Vasara and pulled forth from his robes, Vasara's wand.

"I think you'll be needing this, my dear." He finished with a smile as he extended it out for Vasara to take. Vasara eyed the wand briefly before she reached out and took it within her own hand. "Goodnight." Said Albus as he smiled a secret smile and walked off, leaving the room through the portrait before disappearing from sight as it closed shut after his departure. Vasara stared down at the wand she held in her hands and a random image of Malfoy's face came to mind before her fingers closed tightly around its center firmly while Albus' last words rang loudly in her ears,

"_I think you'll be needing this, my dear…"_ he had said.

"I think you may be right, Albus." Vasara confessed out loud as she thought long and hard about the certain, handsome Slytherin boy with the hostile attitude that both frustrates and confuses her, "I think I'll be needing this too."


End file.
